Time period annunciator



June 2, 1936. v T, v ANDERSON 2,042,875

TIME PERIOD ANNUNCIATOR Filed March 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 2," 1936. T. v. ANDERSON TIME PERIOD ANNUNCIATOR Filed March 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a w, W K H w F M Patented June 2, 1936 UN 'I T ED S TA T E S PATE OFFICE 2,042,875 I TIME PERIOD ANNUNGIATOR' Tyson V. Anderson, Partridge, Kans. Application March 9, 1935, Serial No. 10,313 1 Claim.. (Cl. 20037) My present inventionhas reference to a time period. annun'ciator andihas for its object the provision .of a device :of this character adapted at stated intervals to soundsignals for various purposes.

Another object is the provision of a time period clock operated annunciator ofsuch construction that sound signals'may be. operated at set periods for an entire day or for all of the days in a 1., calendar week, orcut out at will so that certain of the signals may be sounded only on certain days of'the week or prevented from sounding on such days or onany day of the weekand wherein such control of the signals will not interfere with 1'5 the operation of'the 01001:.

A further 'object is the provision of a simple and cheaply constructed device for sounding signals at stated intervals andwhich is clock-operated and electrically actuated.

To the attainment of the foregoing, and other objects which will present themselves as the nature of the improvement is better understood, the invention resides in the construction, combination and operative association of parts, one of a number of satisfactory embodiments of which is disclosed by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my complete device,

3 Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking toward the arrows,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a face viewof the disk,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view to illustrate the electric wiring,

Figure '7 is a detail of modification,

Figure 8 is a detail section of the disk to illustrate another form of contact which may be employed.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of my invention I desire it understood that 15 the improvement is not restricted in its useful capacity. The device may be successfully employed in hospitals to inform the nurse or others of periods at which a patient is to receive medi cine or attention; in schools to sounding alarms 0 at the beginning and ending of study and recess periods; in the home to indicate to the housewife or cook the time at which certain duties are to be performed, or in any other connection to which the device is adaptable. However, my improve- 5 ment is peculiarly adaptable as a sound signal for notifying persons of the proper time for tuning in" their radios at different stations presenting programs selected for hearing by such person or persons and'will therefore be described in connec tion therewith. 5

In the drawings A indicates a clock which may be spring wound orelectrically operated. The clock is of an ordinary construction and the body or case thereofmay be highly ornamented. The clock isnotof 'an expensive type, as cheapness in f '3 construction and in distribution is one of my aims. When of the spring wound type the clock may run for a day or for a week, the latter type being preferable. The clock works, are of the usual cons ruction, therefore, have not been illustrated nor 3 i". a detaileddescription thereof believed necessary. Theworks which operate the hands of the clock, particularly the hour hand, revolves a shaft I that is journaled through the top of the clock case and has fixed thereon the center-of a disk B, 30 hereinafter described in detail. The disk B is revolved synchronously with the turning of the hour hand of the clock.

The disk B comprises two connected parts, the inner part 2 being of metal and the outer part 3 of hard rubber or like non-electric conducting material. The outer face 3 of the disk B is provided, from adjacent its outer periphery to a point adjacent its center, with a spiral groove 4 and between the spirals of the groove with equidistantly spaced openings 5. The openings 5 communicate with the metal inner face 2 of the disk B but the groove 4 does not. The disk has inscribed on its outer face equidistantly spaced lines which radiate from its center over certain of the openings 5 and which have inscribed at their outer ends characters, 6, numbered 1 to 12, each successively indicating an hour of time. Between these characters 6 there is, on the disk, other characters 1, that indicate the quarter hour periods between the hour indicating characters 6. The characters 1 are disposed in a line with the radially arranged openings between the radial lines for the hour characters 6. On the disk, between the convolutions of the spiral groove there is inscribed the names of the days of the week and the morning and evening periods thereof (see Fig. 5).

The disk B, as stated, rotates synchronously with the turning of the clock hand and will, therefore, complete fourteen revolutions when the hour hand of the clock has been turned for its complete seven day periods. There is, therefore, 672 holes in the outer face of the disk individually indicating an hour and a quarter hour of time.

It may here be stated that important or debe contacted by a striker sired radio broadcast programs are usually arranged on quarter hour schedules.

On the top of the case A there is pivotally secured a post 8 to which there is pivotally connected a hollow arm 9. On one of its ends the arm carries a box It) and on its other end an equalizing weight H which prevents the stylus on the arm inflicting injury to the walls of the groove in the disk B.

The box I may be fixed to or slidable on the arm 9, and the said box l0 carries the stylus or needle I l which is arranged to travel in the spiral groove 4 in the disk B.

In the box It] there is a yieldable brush switch member l2 connected with one of the wires of an alarm circuit and the second wire of the circuit is connected to the shaft I. There is a bell or like alarm l2 in the circuit. A removable metal plug I3 is arranged in any desired opening or openings in the disk to engage with the inner metal face of said disk. This establishes an electrical connection between the plug or plugs and the alarm and the disk. The plugs are disposed for wiping engagement by the brush switch l2, and which contact will complete the circuit and ring the bell at the time desired for tuning in a radio receiving set.

The contact elements may be easily placed in desired holes in the disk. The alarm may be sounded at different periods of a single day or of any succeeding week days.

The device may vary in its operative construction. For instance, as shown in Figure '7 the box l0 may carry a sound producing element M to- IS. The metal contact element l3 carried by the disk has one of its ends pivoted in a groove in the insulated face of the disk and is provided with a finger notch 15, to raise the same to engage with the metal part of the disk and when in position to be contacted by the wiper switch on the arm. This wiping contact returns the element to its original position. 5

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my improvement I am aware that such changes therein may be made which do not depart from the spirit of the invention nor the scope thereof defined by my claim. Among the changes possible would be to provide the openings 5 at other spaced distances than fifteen minutes apart including providing for rotation of the disk synchronously with the minute hand of a clock and providing 720 openings at minute periods so that an alarm could be set for opera tion at any time during a twelve hour period. Also it is apparent that the stops may be nonremovable and of any type.

What is claimed is:-

A device of the class described, comprising a rotatable element having a metallic portion and a portion of insulation superposed thereon, said portion of insulation having a spiral groove, an element having a part traversing said groove, a contact plug, and a switch brush carried by said element and adapted to engage said contact plug, the device having an opening extending through said metallic and insulation parts provided with an inclined wall, and said contact plug occupying said opening and engaging said metallic and insulation parts and having an inclined wall corresponding with the first-mentioned inclined wall and engaging the same, said insulation aiding in frictionally retaining the plug in the opening.

TYSON V. ANDERSON. 

